Kindergarten

3 young children in laughing in playground with a teacher

Over 70 kindergarten programs are run across Brimbank by qualified early childhood educators. We manage the registration of some of these programs, known as sessional kindergartens.

All Victorian children can now access 2 years of kindergarten.

  • Four-Year-Old (4YO) kindergarten is 15 hours per week
  • Three-Year-Old (3YO) kindergarten is currently 5 to 15 hours per week and will increase to 15 at all kindergartens by 2029.

Kindergarten is important for children's learning and development before they start school. At kindergarten, they learn key skills through play-based learning including creative thinking, social and emotional skills, early literacy and language skills.

Types of kindergarten programs

Kindergarten programs are run in either:

  • sessional kindergartens
  • as integrated programs within Long Day Care programs at childcare centres. These are privately managed.

We manage the registration of sessional kindergartens in Brimbank only. Council does not run the kindergarten programs.

The table below outlines the difference between sessional and integrated programs. 

Services Sessional
(Stand Alone)		 Integrated
(Long Day Care)
No fees required (from 2023)

Yes

  
Daily fees payable  

Yes
Child Care Subsidy available  

Yes
Bachelor qualified teacher

Yes

Yes
Play-based learning

Yes

Yes
Up to 15 hours available

Yes

Yes
During school terms only

Yes

  
Set days and times (2/3 days per week)

Yes

  
Long-day program (up to 5 days per week)  

Yes
Before and aftercare  

Yes
Meals provided  

Yes

When to start kindergarten

Families with children born between January and 30 April may choose whether to enrol their children in a kindergarten program in the year they turn 3 years old.

Children born after 30 April can start attending kindergarten the year after they turn 3 years old.

Children can attend 4YO kindergarten the year before they start school.

Child's date of birth 3YO kindergarten 4YO kindergarten
1/5/2019 - 30/4/2020 2023 2024
1/5/2020 - 30/4/2021 2024 2025
1/5/2021 - 30/4/2022 2025 2026
1/5/2022 - 30/4/2023 2026 2027
1/5/2023 - 30/4/2024 2027 2028
1/5/2024 - 30/4/2025 2028 2029

When deciding to start kindergarten consider your child’s:

  • developmental and learning levels
  • family circumstances 
  • preferred school starting age.

Families can discuss their child’s kindergarten readiness by speaking with their MCH nurse at their child’s next Key Ages and Stages appointment.

How to sign up for kindergarten

Register for sessional kindergarten

Kindergarten Registration opens in February in the year before the kindergarten program will run. Depending on the program we begin sending offers from June and continue accepting new registrations and offering available places over the following months (See details of the Allocation Process below).

Register online

You can also download and email completed registration forms to: kindergarten@brimbank.vic.gov.au 

Expression of interest

To simplify the process of finding out when registrations open, you can complete an Expression of Interest and we will automatically contact you when registrations open.

You can complete an Expression of Interest at any time from the birth of your child. If your child attends a Maternal Child Health Visit we may complete an expression of interest on your behalf.

If registrations are not open for your child, please complete our

Online Expression of Interest form

You can also download and email your Expression of Interest forms to: kindergarten@brimbank.vic.gov.au 

Place Allocations

Kindergarten places are allocated:

  • In the year before kindergarten, we contact all families already registered in its system to confirm their contact details and kindergarten preferences.
  • From June, Council allocates places for 4YO kindergarten.
  • From July, Council allocates places for 3YO kindergarten.
  • Families must accept their offer with Council to complete the process.
  • Later in the year, families who have accepted their offer will be contacted by their kindergarten to complete the enrolment process.

Allocation is made according to a Priority of Access criteria set out by the Department of Education and Training. Read more about Priority of Access and allocation in the Kindergarten registration and enrolment guide. (PDF 1.1MB)

Contact us: 

Email kindergarten@brimbank.vic.gov.au or call 03 9249 4000.

Integrated kindergarten programs (at child care centres)

Contact the child care centre directly the year before kindergarten to register.

Kindergarten locations and timetables in Brimbank

List of kindergartens in Brimbank

There are over 35 kindergartens in Brimbank, operated by a range of early years management organisations.

To find kindergartens near you, you can: 

Kindergarten timetables

Kindergarten timetables are set by the centres that operate them.

Visit providers' websites to confirm times and learn more.

Early Start Kindergarten and Preschool Field Officer Programs

Early Start Kindergarten

Early Start Kindergarten is available to eligible 3-year-old children to access up to 15 hours of funded kindergarten.

Children are eligible if they are:

  • Known to child protection
  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
  • From a refugee or asylum seeker children

For more information:

Preschool Field Officer Program

The role of the Preschool Field Officer (PFSO) is to support, guide and coach kindergarten educators, to provide high quality programs that support the inclusion of children with additional needs.

Learn more about the program or apply for a Preschool Field Officer Referral Program.

 

 

Last updated: 8 October 2024 - 10:27am
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